Engaging with citizens is often referred to as a mechanism to foster accountability, ultimately improving the quality of policies and public services. However, when it comes to citizen participation, giving citizens a voice is only one part of the equation. Often overlooked is the process of institutional change that must pave the way and which ultimately enables governments to be responsive to citizens.

The benefits associated with participation - such as better and innovative delivery of public services - are only achieved when stakeholders are capable of and willing to deal with participatory innovations. The implementation of successful and open government initiatives involves a number of processes that are often ignored, such as the creation of institutional frameworks and the crafting of suitable participatory designs. When added to these processes, information and communication technologies (ICT) may play an instrumental role as a means to foster transparency and inclusive participation.

This webinar, open to the public and organized by the ICT4Gov Program at the World Bank Institute, will provide a comprehensive overview of how governments may reap the benefits gained from citizen engagement and how technology may enhance these processes. It shall look at concrete cases of ICT-facilitated citizen engagement, and how they can be replicated and scaled within different contexts.